Design and Applied Arts at Miami University-Oxford

Miami University-Oxford's Design and Applied Arts program stands out dramatically in a field where many graduates struggle to find financial footing. At $47,295 in first-year earnings, graduates earn 78% more than the typical Ohio design graduate and 41% more than the national median. This places the program in the 95th percentile both nationally and within Ohio—a rare achievement for an arts program at a school with an 82% acceptance rate.

The financial picture looks sustainable: earnings climb to $54,530 by year four, while the $26,000 debt burden translates to a manageable 0.55 ratio. That's roughly half a year's starting salary, which most graduates can pay down without sacrificing other life goals. Compare this to many design programs where first-year earnings barely exceed the debt amount. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) gives us reasonable confidence in these numbers, and the program trails only Cincinnati's powerhouse design school in Ohio.

What makes Miami's design program work? The combination of strong career services, employer connections in Cincinnati and beyond, and selective admissions (despite the 82% overall rate, successful programs often have higher internal standards) appears to translate into job placements that actually use the degree. For a field where many graduates end up in retail or food service, this outcome is exceptional.